Chapter 51

The Mind-Monkey Works a Thousand Schemes in Vain; Water and Fire Cannot Smelt the Demon

Let it be told: the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, beaten in battle and empty-handed, came and sat behind Golden Mountain. Both eyes blinked, and the tears dropped, and he cried out: "Master, oh, my master — what I had counted on was this:

Buddha's grace has virtue, has concord and warmth;companions from our youth, one birth, a bond without bottom.Together lodged, together schooled, together we win release;one mercy, one remembrance, manifesting wondrous power.One fate, one face — our hearts in true accord;one seeing, one knowing — the Way turns ever clearer.Who could have thought that now, with no staff to wield,with empty fists and bare feet, how should I ever thrive?

The Great Sage grieved a long while, then thought to himself in secret: "That demon knew me. I remember how, on the field, he paid me this compliment: 'Truly one of that crew that wrecked the Heavenly Palace!' If that is so, he is no common monster of the mortal world. He must be some baleful star of Heaven come down out of longing for the world below — or else a demon head dropped from who knows where. I must go up above and make a search or two."

And so Pilgrim was indeed questioning his own heart and acting on his own authority. He flipped himself over, sprang onto an auspicious cloud, and flew straight to the Southern Gate of Heaven. Suddenly he raised his head and saw the Wide-Gaze Heavenly King, who met him face to face and bowed low and long: "Great Sage, where are you bound?" Pilgrim said: "I have business with the Jade Emperor. What are you doing here?" Wide-Gaze said: "It is my turn today to patrol the Southern Gate." Before the words were done, the four great marshals — Ma, Zhao, Wen, and Guan — came up, saluted, and said: "Great Sage, forgive us for not meeting you. Stay and have a cup of tea." Pilgrim said: "I am on business." So he took leave of Wide-Gaze and the four marshals, went in through the Southern Gate, straight to the outside of the Hall of Divine Mists, where, sure enough, the four Celestial Masters — Zhang Daoling, the Elder Immortal Ge, Xu Jingyang, and Qiu Hongji — stood with the six directors of the Southern Dipper and the seven primes of the Northern Dipper, all gathered before the hall to meet him. Together they raised their hands in greeting: "Great Sage, what brings you here?" And they asked: "Is your work of guarding the Tang monk finished?" Pilgrim said: "Early days, early days! The road is long and the demons are many; we are barely halfway through. Right now we are held up at Golden Mountain, at Golden Cave. A Si demon has seized Master the Tang monk and carried him into the cave. This old Monkey went and knocked at his very door and fought him a battle, but the fellow's powers are vast, and he snatched away my gold-banded staff, so I cannot bind the demon king. I suspect some baleful star above has grown homesick for the world below and come down — or again, some demon head dropped from who knows where. So old Monkey has come to find the Jade Emperor and ask him why his people are kept on so loose a rein." Xu Jingyang laughed: "This monkey-head is as sly as ever." Pilgrim said: "No slyness in it. All his life this old Monkey has kept his mouth shut tight — that is how he manages to find anyone at all to see him." Zhang Daoling said: "Say no more; we will only send in your name." Pilgrim said: "Many thanks, many thanks."

The four Celestial Masters passed the report up to the Hall of Divine Mists and led him in before the Jade Steps. Pilgrim, facing upward, gave a great salutation and said: "Old gentleman, sorry to trouble you — trouble you. This old Monkey has been guarding the Tang monk on the road to fetch scriptures from the Western Heaven; of the perils many and the fortunes few there is no need to speak. Now we have come to Golden Mountain, Golden Cave, where a Si demon has taken the Tang monk into his cave — whether he means to steam him, boil him, or dry him in the sun, who knows. Old Monkey went to his very door and fought him, and the creature showed some sign of knowing old Monkey; his powers are truly vast, and he snatched away my gold-banded staff, so I cannot bind the demon. I suspect some baleful star of the upper world, homesick for earth, has come down; for that cause old Monkey begs leave to report. I prostrate myself and beg your compassionate scrutiny: issue a decree to examine the baleful stars and dispatch troops to crush the demon, and old Monkey will tremble and quake with gratitude." And he bent into another deep bow, saying: "So reported." Beside him the Elder Immortal Ge laughed: "Monkey, why so rude before and so respectful now?" Pilgrim said: "Dare not, dare not. It is no matter of rude-then-respectful: old Monkey is out of staff to play with these days."

At that the Jade Emperor, hearing the report, promptly sent a decree down to the Kehan Office: "Since it is as Wukong reports, go at once and examine the stars of all the heavens and the divine kings of every mansion, whether any has yearned for the world below and descended; report back immediately for action." The True Lord Venerable of the Kehan Office took the edict and set off that very hour with the Great Sage to search. First they searched the divine kings and officials at the four heavenly gates; next the host of perfected ones, great and small, within the Three Enclosures; then the thunder officers — Tao, Zhang, Xin, Deng, Gou, Bi, Pang, and Liu. Only last did they search the Thirty-Three Heavens: every heaven serene. Then the twenty-eight mansions: the eastern seven — Horn, Neck, Root, Room, Three Stars, Tail, Winnowing Basket; the western seven — Dipper, Ox, Girl, Emptiness, Rooftop, Encampment, Wall; the southern seven and the northern seven — every mansion quiet at its post. Then the seven governors — Sun, Moon, Water, Fire, Wood, Metal, and Earth — and the four residual stars, Rahu, Ketu, Qi, and Bo. Through all the starry heavens not one had yearned for the world below. Pilgrim said: "If that is how it stands, old Monkey need not mount to the Hall of Divine Mists and trouble the Jade Emperor, which would be deeply improper. Go back and deliver your report; I will simply wait here for your reply." The True Lord of the Kehan Office took his orders. Pilgrim Sun waited a long while and made a poem of what he felt:

The wind is clean, the clouds cleared off, and all delights in peace;the gods are still, the stars burn bright, auspicious signs appear.The River of Heaven lies at rest; Heaven and Earth are at ease;the five quarters, the eight extremes, let fall their spears and banners.

The True Lord Venerable of the Kehan Office, his search complete in every particular, reported back to the Jade Emperor: "Not one star of the heavens is missing; the divine generals of every quarter are all at their posts; none has yearned for the world below and descended." The Jade Emperor heard the report and said: "Let Sun Wukong pick a few heavenly generals and go down to seize the demon."

Bearing the edict, the four Celestial Masters came out of the Hall of Divine Mists and told Pilgrim: "Great Sage, the Jade Emperor in his wide grace says that no god of the heavens has yearned for the world below, and bids you choose a few heavenly generals and go seize the demon." Pilgrim lowered his head and thought to himself: "Heaven has many generals no match for old Monkey and few who are his betters. When I wrecked the Heavenly Palace, the Jade Emperor sent a hundred thousand heavenly soldiers and spread his net of heaven and his net of earth, yet not one general dared cross hands with me. Later they called up the Little Sage Erlang, and he alone was my match. And now this monster's craft is stronger than old Monkey's — how am I to win the day?" Xu Jingyang said: "That was then, this is now — not the same at all. The common saying has it: one thing brings another down. You would hardly defy the imperial edict? Follow your own best judgment, choose and employ your generals, and do not linger and spoil the business." Pilgrim said: "Since it is so, I am deeply grateful for heaven's grace; defying the edict would indeed be wrong. And besides, old Monkey cannot come away empty-handed from the trip. I trouble you, Lord Jingyang, to report once more to the Jade Emperor: let Pagoda-Bearer Heavenly King Li and Prince Nezha go. They have several demon-quelling weapons; let them go down and give the monster one engagement, and we shall see how it goes. If they can take him, it is old Monkey's good fortune; if not, we will decide then what to do."

The Celestial Master duly reported to the Jade Emperor, who ordered Heavenly King Li and his son to lead the heavenly host of their command down to aid Pilgrim. The Heavenly King took the edict and came to join him. Pilgrim said further to the Celestial Master: "His Majesty the Jade Emperor has sent the Heavenly King down — my thanks without end. There is one thing more I trouble you to relay: give me two Thunder Lords to make use of. While the Heavenly King gives battle, let the Thunder Lords stand in the clouds and drop a thunderbolt on the demon, nailing him dead at the crown of the head — a very fine plan." The Celestial Master laughed: "Good, good, good." He reported again to the Jade Emperor, and a decree ordered the Ninefold Heaven Prefectures to dispatch the two Thunder Lords Deng Hua and Zhang Fan, to bind the demon and end the calamity in concert with the Heavenly King. Then with the Heavenly King and the Great Sage they went down out of the Southern Gate.

In an instant they arrived. Pilgrim said: "This is Golden Mountain, and in its middle Golden Cave. Let us confer: which of you goes first to demand battle?" The Heavenly King halted his cloud and pitched the heavenly troops on the southern slope below: "Great Sage, you have long known my son Nezha: he subdued the demons of ninety-six caves, is a master of transformations, and carries demon-quelling weapons on him. He should go first into the field." Pilgrim said: "So be it — I will lead the prince to him."

The prince, shaking out his heroic might, leaped with the Great Sage up the high mountain and straight to the cave mouth. The cave doors stood shut fast, and below the cliff not a fiend stirred. Pilgrim stepped up and called loudly: "Brazen demon! Open the gate and return my master!" The door-keeping imps inside caught sight of him and hurried to report: "Your Majesty, Sun Pilgrim is at the gate with a little boy, calling you to battle." The demon king said: "That monkey lost his iron staff to me and can hardly fight empty-handed; he must have fetched reinforcements." He called: "Bring my weapons." Spear in hand the demon king walked out the gate to look. The little boy had features clear and rare, spare and sturdy through. Truly:

A jade face, delicate as the full moon;vermilion lips, a square mouth, silver teeth in view.Eyes that flicker lightning, pupils wild and proud;a brow broad as gathered sunset clouds, hair bound in a tuft.Embroidered ribbons dance on the wind, scattering colored flame;the brocade robe, struck by the sun, lets loose its golden flowers.Rings and cords flash and glitter, a mirror at his breast;the precious armor shimmers, setting off the boots of war.Small of body, huge of voice, magnificent in valor —fierce Nezha, guardian of the teaching of the Three Heavens.

The demon king laughed: "You are the third child of Heavenly King Li, called Prince Nezha. What do you mean, bawling at my gate?" The prince said: "Because you, brazen demon, stir up chaos and have trapped and harmed the holy monk of the Land of the East. By the Jade Emperor's golden edict I have come expressly to take you." The demon king flew into a rage: "I take it you are the one Sun Wukong fetched. I am that holy monk's appointed nemesis. What martial art has a whelp like you, to talk so bold? Do not run — taste my spear."

The prince met him hand to hand with the demon-slaying sword. The two had only just closed and fallen to when the Great Sage hurried back up the slope, calling: "Thunder Lords, where are you? Be quick — drop a thunderbolt on the demon and help the prince subdue him!" The two lords Deng and Zhang stepped out on the cloud-light, about to strike, when the prince brought out his magic: his body changed, and he became three-headed and six-armed, six weapons in his six hands, cutting in at the demon. The demon king likewise became three-headed and six-armed, three long spears holding him off. Then the prince worked his demon-quelling art and cast the six weapons into the air. And what were the six weapons? The demon-hacking sword, the demon-cutting saber, the demon-binding lasso, the demon-subduing pestle, the embroidered ball, and the fire wheel. He gave a great shout — "Change!" — one became ten, ten became a hundred, a hundred became a thousand, a thousand became ten thousand, all of them the same weapons, like a squall of rain and hail, thick and dense, pelting in at the demon. The demon king showed not the least fear. From one hand he brought out that gleaming white ring, tossed it into the air, cried "Fall!" — and with a whoosh it snatched all six weapons down. Prince Nezha, in terror, fled empty-handed for his life. The demon king returned in triumph.

In the air the two Thunder Lords Deng and Zhang chuckled to themselves: "A good thing we judged the temper of the fight first and never loosed our thunderbolt — if it had been snatched away with the rest, how would we ever have faced the throne?" The two came down to earth, and with the prince rejoined the others at the foot of the southern slope, and told Heavenly King Li: "The demon's powers are truly vast." Wukong laughed beside them: "The fellow's powers go no further than that — the trouble is that ring of his, and the ring is deadly. What treasure it may be I do not know, but thrown into the air it will bag anything in the world." Nezha said bitterly: "Great Sage, you are a poor sort of man. We have lost our soldiers, lost the battle, and are sick at heart, and all of it on your account — and you sit there laughing. Why?" Pilgrim said: "You speak of being sick at heart — do you suppose old Monkey is not? I am past all remedy; I cannot weep, so I have to laugh."

The Heavenly King said: "How is this to end?" Pilgrim said: "Scheme as you please; only this: whatever the ring cannot snatch, that can seize him." The Heavenly King said: "What the ring cannot snatch — water and fire bite deepest. As the common saying goes, water and fire are merciless." Pilgrim heard him and said: "Well said. Sit tight here, all of you, while old Monkey takes another turn up to heaven." The lords Deng and Zhang said: "What now?" Pilgrim said: "This time old Monkey need not petition the Jade Emperor. I go only inside the Southern Gate, to the Tonghua Palace, to beg the Fire Star Lord, the star of Mars, to come down here and loose a fire and burn this monster — perhaps even burn that ring of his to ash, and seize the demon. That would return your weapons to you for the ride home to heaven, and free my master from his trouble besides." The prince heard this and was delighted: "Then no delay — Great Sage, go quickly and return quickly. We will wait here with folded hands."

Pilgrim rode his auspicious light up again to the Southern Gate. Wide-Gaze and the four marshals met him: "Great Sage, back again so soon?" Pilgrim said: "Heavenly King Li sent his son into the field; in a single engagement the demon king fished away all six weapons. I am off to the Tonghua Palace now to beg the Fire Star Lord to reinforce us." The four marshals did not dare hold him and let him pass. At the Tonghua Palace the gods of the fire department announced him at once: "Sun Wukong asks to see the master." The Fire Star Lord of the Three Breaths of the South adjusted his robes, came out the door, and led him in: "Yesterday the Kehan Office searched this poor palace; not one of my people has yearned for the world below." Pilgrim said: "That is known. But Heavenly King Li and his son have lost the battle and lost their weapons, and I have come to beg you for rescue." The star lord said: "Nezha is the Great God of the Sea Assembly of the Three Altars; from his birth he subdued the demons of ninety-six caves, with vast and mighty powers. If he could not manage it, how should this poor god dare to look?" Pilgrim said: "I conferred with Heavenly King Li: the deadliest forces between heaven and earth are water and fire. The monster has a ring that snatches whatever a man carries — what treasure it is, who knows. So we reasoned that fire destroys all things, and I have come expressly to beg you, lord, to lead the fire department down, loose a fire on the demon, and free my master from one tribulation."

The Fire Star Lord, hearing this, mustered the divine troops of his own department and went with Pilgrim to the southern slope of Golden Mountain, where they met the Heavenly King, the Thunder Lords, and the rest. The Heavenly King said: "Great Sage, go and call that fellow out again. I will give him battle; the moment he reaches for his ring I will give way, and the Fire Star Lord can lead his host in and burn him." Pilgrim laughed: "Just so — I will go with you." The Fire Star Lord, with the prince and the two lords Deng and Zhang, took his stand on the high peak, ready for the fray.

The Great Sage came to the mouth of Golden Cave and called: "Open the gate! Return my master, and quickly!" The imps again hurried in with the word: "Sun Wukong has come again!" The demon led his host out of the cave and, seeing Pilgrim, said: "Brazen ape, what soldiers have you fetched this time?" This side of the field Pagoda-Bearer Heavenly King came forward and shouted: "Brazen demon! Do you know me?" The demon king laughed: "Heavenly King Li — come to avenge your son and reclaim your weapons, I suppose?" The Heavenly King said: "To avenge, and to reclaim the weapons, and to take you and save the Tang monk. Do not run — taste my blade." The creature swung aside to dodge, leveled his long spear, and met him then and there. The two of them had a rare battle there before the cave. Just look:

The Heavenly King's blade hews, the demon's spear parries.The blade hews with a frost-light that sprays fierce fire;the spear parries with a keen air that bursts mournful cloud.One is the fell monster bred in Golden Mountain;one the god of heaven sent down from the Hall of Divine Mists.That one, to wrong a nature given to Chan, struts his martial pride;this one, to save his master from calamity, unfolds great duty.The Heavenly King works his arts — sand and stone take wing;the demon strains at strength — dust goes swirling up.The swirling dust can darken heaven and earth;the flying sand loves to muddle rivers and seas.Both sides labor and struggle for the prize —all for the Tang monk, bound to bow before the World-Honored One.

The Great Sage, seeing the two of them locked in combat, leaped back up the peak and called to the Fire Star Lord: "Lord of the Three Breaths — mind your moment!" For there was the demon, fighting the Heavenly King at the very height of it, reaching once more for his ring. The Heavenly King saw it, wheeled his auspicious light, and gave ground from the field. On the peak the Fire Star Lord hurried out his orders: all the fire gods of his host were to loose fire together. A terrible business it was — good fire:

The scripture says: "The south is the very essence of fire." A spark, a grain of star-fire, can burn ten thousand acres of standing crop; the awe of the Three Breaths can turn itself into a hundred kinds of flame. Here are fire lances, fire blades, fire bows, fire arrows — each department of gods with its own. Look: in mid-sky the fire crows fly and caw; on every hill the fire horses plunge and race. Pairs upon pairs of crimson rats, ranks upon ranks of fire dragons. The crimson rats in pairs spray fierce flame — ten thousand li one road of red; the fire dragons in ranks belch rolling smoke — a thousand regions black together. The fire carts come shoving out; the fire gourds are shaken loose. Fire flags wave a whole sky of dawn-fire; fire staffs churn the ground into one blaze. Never mind Ning Qi and his whipped ox — this outdoes young Zhou's burning at Red Cliff. This is heaven's fire, no common thing, and terrible: roaring and seething, wind and fire all red.

The demon, when the fire came, showed not a trace of fear. He tossed the ring into the air, and with a whoosh it snatched down the fire dragons, the fire horses, the fire crows, the fire rats, the fire lances, the fire blades, the fire bows, and the fire arrows, every one of them; then he turned back to his cave, withdrew his troops, and went home in triumph.

The Fire Star Lord, a bare banner in his hand, called his gods back in and joined the Heavenly King and the rest, and they sat at the foot of the southern slope. He said to Pilgrim: "Great Sage, that fierce demon is a rarity indeed. And now I have lost my fire gear besides. What is to be done?" Pilgrim laughed: "No reproaches, no reproaches. Sit a while in patience, all of you, and old Monkey will go and come again." The Heavenly King said: "And where are you off to now?" Pilgrim said: "If the creature does not fear fire, then he surely fears water. As the common saying goes, water conquers fire. Old Monkey will go inside the Northern Gate, beg the Water Star Lord to spread his waters, and pour one flood into that cave of his — drown the demon king where he stands, and fetch your gear back to you." The Heavenly King said: "A clever plan — but I fear you drown your own master with him." Pilgrim said: "No matter. If he drowns my master, I have my way of bringing him back to life. It is wrong of me to keep you all standing about." The Fire Star Lord said: "If it is so, then go — go."

Good Great Sage! He mounted the somersault cloud again and flew straight to the Northern Gate of Heaven. He raised his head, and there was the Much-Hearing Heavenly King, who came forward, saluted, and said: "Great Sage Sun, where away?" Pilgrim said: "There is a matter that takes me into the Wuhao Palace to see the Water Star Lord. What are you doing here?" Much-Hearing said: "It is my turn today on patrol." As they spoke, the four great generals Pang, Liu, Gou, and Bi came up, bowed, and pressed tea on him. Pilgrim said: "No tea for me, no tea — my business is urgent." So he took leave of the gate gods and went straight to the Wuhao Palace, where the gods of the water department announced him on the spot: "The Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Sun Wukong, is here." The Water Star Lord, hearing it, sent away at once the dragon kings he had been mustering — of the four seas, the five lakes, the eight rivers, the four great streams, the three rivers, and the nine channels — then straightened his cap and knotted his belt, came out to the palace gate to receive him, and led him in: "Yesterday the Kehan Office searched this poor palace, fearing one of my department had yearned below and turned fiend; I was in the middle of mustering the gods of rivers, seas, and streams, and not yet done." Pilgrim said: "The demon king is no god of rivers — he is a spirit of the great wilds. First the Jade Emperor sent Heavenly King Li and his son, with two Thunder Lords, down to seize him, and the creature worked a ring on them and snatched away six divine weapons. Old Monkey, helpless, went up to the Tonghua Palace and begged the Fire Star Lord to lead his fire gods down and loose a fire — and the ring swept in the fire dragons, fire horses, and all the rest of it. Now I reason: what fears no fire must fear water, and I have come expressly to beg you, lord, to spread your waters and help me take this fiend, recover the weapons for the generals of heaven, and free my master from his trouble besides." The Water Star Lord heard him and gave his order to the Water Earl of the Yellow River: "Go with the Great Sage and aid the work." The Water Earl drew a white jade bowl from his sleeve: "This is what I hold water in." Pilgrim said: "And how much does a bowl hold? How would it drown the demon?" The Water Earl said: "I will not deceive you, Great Sage: this one bowl is the Yellow River itself — half a bowl, half the river; a full bowl, the whole river." Pilgrim was delighted: "Half a bowl will serve." He took his leave of the Water Star Lord, and with the god of the Yellow River he slipped away from the gates of heaven.

The Water Earl dipped his bowl and drew up half a bowl of the Yellow River, and followed the Great Sage to Golden Mountain, where at the southern slope they found the Heavenly King, the prince, the Thunder Lords, and the Fire Star Lord, and the whole story was laid out before them. Pilgrim said: "No need for the fine points. Let the Water Earl come with me. The moment I have called his gate open, before he can come out, pour the water in at the door — one flood, and the whole nest of them drowns. Then I will go in and fish out my master's body, and revive him at my leisure."

The Water Earl took his orders and kept close behind Pilgrim; around the slope and straight to the cave mouth, where he called: "Demon, open the gate!" The door-keeping imps, hearing the Great Sage's voice, rushed to report again: "Sun Wukong has come again!" The demon heard, hung his treasure on him, took up his spear, and hurried out — the stone gate crashed open. The Water Earl tipped the white jade bowl inward. The demon, seeing the water come, dropped his spear and pulled out the ring at once, propping it against the inner gate. And the whole flood went bubbling and gushing out again instead. In a fright the Great Sage turned a somersault, and he and the Water Earl leaped for the high peak; the Heavenly King and all the rest halted their clouds in front of it to watch. The water rolled and swelled, wild billows in earnest — good water! Truly:

One ladleful of it — and bottomless in truth.Only divine power, moving, could bless the ten thousand thingsand swell a hundred rivers on their way.Hear it babbling — the sound shakes the valley;see it rolling — the flood climbs the sky.Its mighty roar goes running like thunder;its fierce waves crest and curl like snow.A thousand fathoms high it floods the roads;ten thousand tiers of surge shake the crags.Cold and clean it rinses like washing jade;tumbling and rolling, it sings like taut strings.On the rocks it bursts in spray of shattered jade;in the eddies it winds in circles of gray.Now low, now hollow, it wanders with the stream,filling gully and channel, linking high and low.

Pilgrim saw it and his heart went cold: "This is bad! The water is flooding the countryside and drowning the people's fields, and not a drop of it went into his cave. What now?" He called to the Water Earl to gather the water back in haste. The Water Earl said: "This poor god can let water out, but he cannot take it back. As the common saying goes, spilled water is hard to gather." Well! The mountain, after all, stood high and steep, and the water ran downhill; in a moment it had scattered back into gullies and ravines.

Then a few small imps came leaping out of the cave and cavorted about outside, hooting and hallooing, flexing their fists and rolling up their sleeves, twirling staves and sporting spears, as merry as could be. The Heavenly King said: "So the water never poured into the cave after all — the whole day's labor wasted." Pilgrim's anger could not be held in. With both fists swinging he burst up to the demon's gate and roared: "Where do you think you are going! Look out — I strike!" The imps, terrified, dropped their spears and staves and tumbled into the cave, reporting with chattering teeth: "Your Majesty, it is bad — he has come to fight!" The demon, spear leveled, came out to meet him at the gate: "Brazen ape, how shamelessly you keep at it! You could not stand against me in round after round; even water and fire could not get near me. Why come again to throw your life away?" Pilgrim said: "You brat, you have it backwards. Who is throwing a life away — I, or you? Step over here and take one punch from your old grandfather." The demon king laughed: "This monkey wrangles and will not quit! I fight with a spear, and he fights with his fists. Those hammer-fists of his are no bigger than a couple of walnuts — how should they swing a mallet's weight? Enough, enough! I will put down my spear and give you a round of boxing, just to see." Pilgrim laughed: "Fair enough. Come ahead, then."

The demon tucked up his robes and stepped forward, dropped into a stance, and raised both fists — truly like the iron rammers of an oil press to look at. The Great Sage spread his feet and shifted his frame, opened his positions, and before the cave mouth he traded blows with the demon king, fist for fist. A rare bout it was! Ah —

Spreading wide the Great Four-Square;kicking high the Double Flying Feet.Rib-sheltered blows beat on the breast;heart-gouging fingers pluck the gall.The Immortal Points the Way;Laozi Rides the Crane.The Hungry Tiger's Pounce maims men the worst;the Flood-Dragon Sporting in Water is fiercest of all.The demon king turns the Python's Somersault;the Great Sage answers, the Deer Sheds Its Antlers.Toe cocked, he quenches the Earthbound Dragon;wrist twisted, he seizes the Bellows of Heaven.The Blue Lion comes in with open jaws;the Carp vaults, arching its spine.Flowers scattered over the crown;rope threaded round and round the waist.The Fan Pasted to the Wind; the Quick Rain Hurries the Blossoms Down.The fiend plays out the Guanyin Palm;the Pilgrim answers with the Arhat Kick.The long palm is open and loose and free;how can it match the short fist, tight and keen?The two hold level forty rounds and more —the same craft in both, no strong, no weak.

While the two brawled there before the cave, on the height of the peak Li Tianwang roared his applause and the Fire Star Lord clapped and praised; the two Thunder Lords and Prince Nezha led the gods leaping close, all eager to join in; on the other side the demon host waved banners, beat drums, and whirled swords and blades together in defense. The Great Sage, seeing the business going ill, plucked out a handful of hairs, flung them into the air, and cried "Change!" — on the spot they became thirty, fifty little monkeys that swarmed up and entangled the fiend: some hugging his legs, some pulling at his waist, some clawing at his eyes, some plucking out his hair. The monster panicked and snatched out the ring in haste. The Great Sage and the Heavenly King and the rest, seeing him bring out his ring-work, wheeled their clouds and fled up the peak, out of the field. The demon flung the ring upward; with a whoosh it gathered in those thirty-fifty little monkeys made of hair, took back their true forms, and swept them into the cave. In triumph he led his troops in, shut the gate, and went off amid his congratulations.

Prince Nezha said: "The Great Sage is a true hero all the same. That round of boxing ran like flowers embroidered on brocade, and the body-splitting art was quality shown before the crowd." Pilgrim laughed: "You all watched from far off — now tell me: what is the beast's skill worth, set against old Monkey's?" Li Tianwang said: "His fists were loose and his feet slow, nothing so quick and pressing as the Great Sage's. When we came up on him he grew flustered; and when you brought out the splitting art he lost his head — that is why he played so hard on his ring." Pilgrim said: "The demon king I could manage well enough — it is the snare that cannot be beaten." The Fire Star Lord and the Water Earl said: "If you are to win at all, you must first get hold of that treasure of his; only then can he be taken." Pilgrim said: "And how is that treasure to be got? Only by stealing it." The lords Deng and Zhang laughed: "For the rites of theft there is no one in the world but the Great Sage. Remember the great havoc in heaven: stealing the imperial wine, stealing the peaches, stealing dragon liver and phoenix marrow and Laozi's very pills — what arts were those! Today is the very place to use them." Pilgrim said: "Well said, well said. Sit you all here, then; old Monkey will go and see about it."

Good Great Sage! Down off the peak he hopped, crept privately to the cave mouth, shook himself once, and changed into a gray horsefly — a sleek little thing. Look at him:

Wing films thin as bamboo membrane;body small as the heart of a flower.Limbs and legs stout beyond their fuzz;star-point eyes in bright little sockets.Born skillful at scenting and chasing breath;flying fast when it rides the wind.Weighed on the steelyard it just tips the zero mark —a tiny dear of a thing, and useful.

Lightly it flew onto the gate, crawled to a crack, and slipped in. Inside, imps great and small were dancing here, singing there, drawn up in two ranks. The old demon king sat high on the terrace; before him were laid snake meat and dried venison, bears' paws and camel humps, mountain greens and fruits; there was a celadon wine pot, and mutton cheese and coconut wine smelling rich; and from great bowls the company drank deep, wide-hearted. Pilgrim came down among the imps, changed himself into a badger-headed imp, and slowly worked his way toward the terrace. He watched his fill for a long while and nowhere could he see where the treasure was kept. In haste he slipped back around behind the terrace — and there in the rear hall, hung high, the fire dragon moaned and roared, and the fire horse whinnied. He looked up, and there against the east wall leaned his own gold-banded staff. Joy itched him so he could hardly stand it: he forgot even to change his shape again, strode up and took the iron staff, showed his true body, threw open his positions, and hammered his way out with one long route of staff-blows. The imps' gall burst with fright; the old demon king was caught clean off his guard — three were knocked down, two toppled over, and he hewed out a bloody road and marched straight out the cave gate. This, indeed, was a case of:

The demon lord, in his pride, kept no guard; the trusty staff found its way back to its master's hand.

But whether it would end in fortune or in failure? Listen to the next chapter to find out.

The Mind-Monkey's thousand tricks all come to nothing; Water and fire do no good and cannot subdue the demon

The story goes that the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, beaten in battle and left empty-handed, came and sat behind Gold Mountain. His two eyes brimmed and dropped tears, and he cried out: "Master, oh, how I hoped to share with you:

The Buddha's kindness is rich in virtue and harmony, a bond from youth that would never end.Living together, cultivating together, gaining freedom together;one mercy, one thought, showing wondrous power.One fate, one form, hearts truly in accord;seeing alike, knowing alike, the Way grows clearer.Who would have thought that now I have no staff in my hand?With empty fists and bare feet, how can I get anything done!

The Great Sage grieved a long time, then thought to himself: "That demon knows me. I remember how he praised me in the fight: 'Truly one of the crowd that wrecked the Heavenly Palace!' If that is so, he is no ordinary monster of the mortal world. He must be a baneful star from Heaven, come down because he yearned for the mortal world. Or else he is a demon lord sent down from somewhere else. For now I must go up to Heaven and check."

So Pilgrim asked his own heart and made his own decision. He flipped over, leaped onto an auspicious cloud, and went straight to outside the South Gate of Heaven. Looking up, he met the Heavenly King of Wide Vision, who greeted him with a deep bow and asked: "Where are you going, Great Sage?" Pilgrim said: "I have business with the Jade Emperor. What are you doing here?" Wide Vision said: "Today it is my turn to patrol the South Gate of Heaven." Before he finished speaking, the four great marshals Ma, Zhao, Wen, and Guan bowed and said: "Great Sage, sorry we missed you. Please stay for tea." Pilgrim said: "I'm on business." So he took leave of Wide Vision and the four marshals and went straight in through the South Gate, all the way to outside the Hall of Divine Mists. There he saw the four celestial teachers Zhang Daoling, the Immortal Ge, Xu Jingyang, and Qiu Hongji, along with the six officers of the Southern Dipper and the seven stars of the Northern Dipper, all waiting in front of the hall. Together they raised their hands to Pilgrim and asked: "What brings the Great Sage here?" And they asked: "Is your work of protecting the Tang monk finished?" Pilgrim said: "Far from it, far from it. The road is long and the demons are many; we are only halfway done. Right now we are stuck at Gold Mountain and the Gold Cave. A rhinoceros demon there seized the Tang Master and took him into the cave. I went to his door and fought him, but the fellow's powers are vast, and he snatched away my gold-banded staff. So I cannot bind the demon king. I suspect he is a baneful star from Heaven come down because he yearned for the mortal world, or some demon lord sent down from who knows where. That is why Old Sun has come to see the Jade Emperor and ask why his people were not watched more closely." Xu Jingyang laughed: "This monkey-head is as sly as ever." Pilgrim said: "It is not slyness. Old Sun's whole life, this mouth of mine has been a little tight, and that is the only way to pick up a lead." Zhang Daoling said: "No need to say more. We will just announce you." Pilgrim said: "Many thanks, many thanks."

At once the four celestial teachers reported at the Hall of Divine Mists and brought him before the Jade Emperor's throne. Pilgrim bowed toward the throne with a deep salaam and said: "Old gentleman, I trouble you, I trouble you. Your Old Sun has been protecting the Tang monk on the road to the Western Heaven to fetch the scriptures. Along the way there has been more danger than luck—that goes without saying. Now we have come to Gold Mountain and the Gold Cave, where a rhinoceros demon seized the Tang monk and took him into the cave. Who knows whether he means to steam him, boil him, or dry him in the sun. I went to his door and fought him, and the monster seemed to know Old Sun somehow. His powers are truly vast, and he snatched away my gold-banded staff, so I cannot bind the demon. I suspect he is a baneful star from Heaven come down because he yearned for the mortal world, and that is why Old Sun has come specially to report. I beg Your Reverence to look kindly and see clearly, to send an edict to check the baneful stars and dispatch troops to destroy the demon. Old Sun trembles and waits in awe." And he bowed deeply again, saying: "So it is reported." The Immortal Ge beside him laughed: "Monkey, why so haughty before and so polite now?" Pilgrim said: "Dare not, dare not. It is nothing about being haughty before and polite now. Old Sun simply has no staff to work with today."

Then the Jade Emperor heard the report and at once sent an edict down to the Canhan Office: "Since this is what Wukong reports, check all the stars of Heaven and the god-kings of every mansion for anyone who yearned for the mortal world and came down, and report back at once for action." The True Lord Elder of the Canhan Office took the edict and set off at once to check with the Great Sage. First he checked the god-kings and officers at the four great gates of Heaven. Next he checked the immortals great and small inside the Three Enclosures. Then he checked the thunder officers Tao, Zhang, Xin, Deng, Gou, Bi, Pang, and Liu. Last of all he checked the Thirty-Three Heavens, and every heaven was at ease. Then he checked the Twenty-Eight Mansions: the eastern seven—Horn, Neck, Root, Chamber, Shen, Tail, Basket; the western seven—Dipper, Ox, Girl, Void, Danger, Rooftop, Wall; the southern seven and the northern seven—every mansion quiet and safe. Then he checked the seven governors, the sun, the moon, and the planets water, fire, wood, metal, and earth, and the four remainder stars, Rahu, Ketu, Qi, and Bei. Not one star in the whole sky had come down to the mortal world out of longing. Pilgrim said: "If that is how it is, Old Sun need not go up to the Hall of Divine Mists and bother the Jade Emperor. That would be very awkward. You go back and report, and I will wait right here for your answer." The True Lord Elder of the Canhan Office obeyed. Sun Pilgrim waited a long while and made a poem of his mood:

The wind is clear, the clouds have lifted, all delight in peace;the gods are calm, the stars are bright, showing lucky signs.The River of Heaven is quiet, Heaven and Earth at ease;the five directions and eight far limits have laid down their spears and banners.

The True Lord Elder of the Canhan Office, having checked everything closely, went back and reported to the Jade Emperor: "Not one star of the sky is missing. The god-generals of every quarter are all present. None has come down to the mortal world out of longing." Hearing this, the Jade Emperor said: "Let Sun Wukong pick a few heavenly generals and go down to capture the demon."

The four celestial teachers took the edict, came out of the Hall of Divine Mists, and told Pilgrim: "Great Sage, the Jade Emperor in his kindness says none of the gods of Heaven came down out of longing. He tells you to pick a few heavenly generals and go capture the demon." Pilgrim lowered his head and thought: "Heaven's generals are mostly weaker than Old Sun, and few are stronger. Back when I wrecked the Heavenly Palace, the Jade Emperor sent a hundred thousand heavenly soldiers and spread a net of heaven and earth over me, and not one general dared to match hands with me. Only later, when they called up the Little Sage Erlang, did I meet my match. Now this monster is stronger than Old Sun. How could we ever beat him?" Xu Jingyang said: "That was then; this is now—a world of difference. As the common saying goes, 'every thing has its conqueror.' You would not defy the edict, would you? Use your own good judgment, pick and choose your heavenly generals, and do not delay and spoil the business." Pilgrim said: "If that is so, I am deeply grateful for Heaven's grace. It would be wrong to defy the edict; and besides, Old Sun should not make this trip for nothing. Please, Jingyang, report to the Jade Emperor once more: just send the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li and Prince Nezha. They have several demon-taming weapons. Let them come down and have a round or two with the monster and see how it goes. If they can capture him, it is Old Sun's good fortune; if they cannot, we will plan again then."

The celestial teacher reported to the Jade Emperor, who at once ordered Heavenly King Li and his son to lead the troops of Heaven down to help Pilgrim. The Heavenly King took the edict and came to meet Pilgrim. Pilgrim also said to the celestial teacher: "I thank the Jade Emperor endlessly for sending the Heavenly King. One more thing to pass along: give me two thunder gods to use. While the Heavenly King fights, have a thunder god drop a thunder-stake from the clouds to nail the demon dead from above his crown. That would be a fine plan." The celestial teacher laughed: "Good, good, good." He reported again to the Jade Emperor, who sent word to the Ninth Heaven Palace to dispatch two thunder gods, Deng Hua and Zhang Fan, to join the Heavenly King in binding the demon and ending the trouble. Then, with the Heavenly King and the Great Sage Sun, they went down outside the South Gate of Heaven.

They arrived in a moment. Pilgrim said: "This is Gold Mountain, and in its middle is the Gold Cave. Let us decide: which of you will go first to demand battle?" The Heavenly King stopped his cloud and stationed his troops below on the southern slope, saying: "Great Sage, you have long known my son Nezha. He once subdued the demons of ninety-six caves, he is a master of transformations, and he carries demon-taming weapons. He should go first." Pilgrim said: "If that is so, let Old Sun lead the prince there."

The prince, brimming with might, jumped up onto the high mountain with the Great Sage and went straight to the cave mouth. The cave door was shut tight, and no demon showed on the cliff below. Pilgrim went up and shouted: "Brazen demon! Open the door and return my master!" The little demons guarding the door saw him and hurried to report: "Your Majesty, Pilgrim Sun is at the gate calling for battle, and he has brought a little boy with him." The Demon King said: "I took this monkey's iron staff, so bare-handed he cannot fight. He must have fetched reinforcements. Bring my weapon." The Demon King took up his spear and walked outside to look. The little boy was strikingly handsome, very strong and trim. Truly:

A jade face, a lovely look, like a full moon;red lips, a square mouth, showing teeth of silver.His eyes flash lightning, his eyeballs glare;his broad forehead glows like gathered clouds, his hair tied up in tufts.Embroidered sashes dance in the wind like flying colored flames;his brocade robe blazes gold in the sunlight.Rings and cords gleam bright around the mirror on his chest;his precious armor shines, setting off his war boots.Small of body, huge of voice, full of splendor—Nezha, the fierce defender of the Three Heavens.

The Demon King laughed: "You are the third child of Heavenly King Li, called Prince Nezha. Why do you come shouting at my door?" The prince said: "Because you brazen demon stirred up trouble and trapped and harmed the holy monk of the East. By the Jade Emperor's golden edict I have come specially to take you." The Demon King flew into a rage: "I suppose Sun Wukong sent you. I am that holy monk's doom. What martial skill can a child like you have, that you dare talk so big? Do not run—take my spear!"

The prince met him with his demon-cutting sword. The two closed with each other and began to fight. The Great Sage hurried back over the slope and called: "Thunder gods, where are you? Go quickly—drop a thunder-stake on the demon and help the prince subdue him!" The two lords Deng and Zhang stepped onto the clouds and were about to strike when they saw the prince use his magic: his body changed into three heads and six arms, holding six weapons, hacking at the demon. The Demon King also changed into three heads and six arms and blocked him with three long spears. Then the prince brought out his demon-subduing power and threw his six weapons into the air. What were the six? The demon-cutting sword, the demon-slaying knife, the demon-binding rope, the demon-taming pestle, the embroidered ball, and the fire wheel. He gave a great shout: "Change!" One became ten, ten became a hundred, a hundred became a thousand, a thousand became ten thousand, all the same weapons, like a sudden rain of hail, thick and fast, striking at the demon. The Demon King was not at all afraid. With one hand he took out that white, gleaming ring, tossed it into the air, cried "Hit!"—and with a whoosh it came down and swept up all six weapons. Prince Nezha fled for his life with bare hands, and the Demon King went back in triumph.

The two thunder gods Deng and Zhang laughed to themselves in the air: "Good thing we first watched how things would go and did not let the thunder-stake fly. If the ring had hooked that away too, how would we ever face the Sovereign?" The two came down from the clouds and went with the prince to the southern slope and told Heavenly King Li: "The demon's powers are truly vast." Wukong, beside them, laughed: "That fellow's powers are only so-so. The trouble is that ring—it is fearsome. I do not know what kind of treasure it is, but throw it up and it sweeps up anything." Nezha said bitterly: "This Great Sage hardly behaves like a grown man. We have lost our troops and our battle and are worried sick, and all on your account—why are you laughing?" Pilgrim said: "You say you are worried. Do you think Old Sun is not? I am stuck with no way out; I cannot cry, so all I can do is laugh."

The Heavenly King said: "So how does this end?" Pilgrim said: "Plan however you like; only whatever the ring cannot sweep up could capture him." The Heavenly King said: "What the ring cannot sweep up—water and fire work best. As the common saying goes, 'water and fire show no mercy.'" Pilgrim said: "Well said. You all sit tight here while Old Sun goes up to Heaven once more." Deng and Zhang asked: "What for this time?" Pilgrim said: "This time I need not report to the Jade Emperor. I will just go inside the South Gate of Heaven, to the Crimson Splendor Palace, and ask the Fire Star Lord of Mars to come down here and set a fire. We will burn up that monster, maybe burn the ring to ashes too, and seize the demon. Then, first, your weapons go back to Heaven with you; second, my master can be freed from his trouble." The prince was delighted to hear it: "No need to hesitate. Great Sage, go quickly and come back quickly. We will wait right here for you."

Pilgrim leaped onto his auspicious light and came again to outside the South Gate of Heaven. Wide Vision and the four marshals greeted him: "Great Sage, why have you come again?" Pilgrim said: "Heavenly King Li sent his prince out to fight, and in a single round the Demon King swept up his six weapons. I am going now to the Crimson Splendor Palace to ask the Fire Star Lord to help us." The four marshals did not dare hold him and let him in. At the Crimson Splendor Palace, the gods of the fire department went in at once to announce: "Sun Wukong asks to see you, my lord." The Fire Star Lord of the Southern Quarter, Lord of Threefold Ether, dressed himself, came out to the door, welcomed him in, and said: "Yesterday the Canhan Office checked my little palace. Not one of my people has gone down out of longing." Pilgrim said: "I know. But Heavenly King Li and his prince have lost their battle and their weapons, and I have come specially to beg your help." The Star Lord said: "Nezha is the Great God of the Sea Assembly of the Three Altars. When he was born he subdued the demons of ninety-six caves; his powers are vast. If he cannot do it, how would this little god dare hope to?" Pilgrim said: "I planned it with Heavenly King Li: of all the forces between heaven and earth, the strongest are water and fire. That monster has a ring that sweeps up whatever anyone carries—some treasure, I do not know what. So we said fire burns up everything, and I have come to ask you, Star Lord, to lead the fire department down below, set fire to that demon, and free my master from this one trouble."

The Fire Star Lord heard this and at once picked his own gods and troops and went with Pilgrim to the southern slope of Gold Mountain, where they met the Heavenly King and the thunder gods. The Heavenly King said: "Great Sage Sun, go call that fellow out again. Let me fight him, and when he reaches for the ring, I will dodge aside, and Fire Star can lead his troops to burn him." Pilgrim laughed: "Exactly. Let us go together." Fire Star stood with the prince and the two lords Deng and Zhang on a high peak, watching the fight.

The Great Sage came to the mouth of the Gold Cave and cried: "Open the door! Return my master at once!" The little demons hurried to report again: "Sun Wukong has come again." The demon led his troop out of the cave and, seeing Pilgrim, said: "You brazen ape—what troops have you brought this time?" On this side came forward the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, shouting: "Brazen demon! Do you know me?" The Demon King laughed: "Heavenly King Li, I suppose you want revenge for your son, or your weapons back?" The Heavenly King said: "Both revenge and weapons—and to take you and save the Tang monk. Do not run—take my blade!" The monster turned sideways to dodge, leveled his long spear, and met him on the spot. The two of them fought a fine fight before the cave. Look:

The Heavenly King hacks with his blade; the demon fiend parries with his spear.The blade strikes with frosty light that spurts fierce fire; the spear meets it with sharp air that bursts into clouds of gloom.One is a wicked monster born of Gold Mountain; the other a god of Heaven sent down from the Hall of Divine Mists.The one shows his might to bully the monk's true nature; the other spreads his great duty to save his master from disaster.The Heavenly King uses magic to fly sand and stones; the demon fights hard to kick up dust and dirt.The dust he raises can darken heaven and earth; the flying sand can muddy rivers and seas.Both sides strain to win the merit,all for the Tang monk on his way to bow before the World-Honored One.

The Great Sage saw the two of them fighting, turned, jumped up onto the peak, and said to the Fire Star Lord: "Lord of Threefold Ether, give it your best!" Look—the demon and the Heavenly King had fought to a fine point, and the demon brought out the ring again. The Heavenly King saw it, spun his auspicious light, and fled the field. On the peak the Fire Star Lord hurriedly gave the order, and all the gods of fire set their fires together. This was truly fearsome. What a fire:

The scripture says: "The south is the essence of fire." A spark no bigger than a star can burn ten thousand acres of field; the might of Threefold Ether can make a hundred kinds of fire. Now there are fire lances, fire knives, fire bows, and fire arrows, and the gods of each department use them each in their own way. Look: in mid-air fire crows fly and caw; over the whole mountainside fire horses gallop. Red rats in pairs, fire dragons in couples. The paired red rats spurt fierce flames, turning ten thousand li red; the coupled fire dragons belch thick smoke, blackening a thousand quarters. Fire carts are pushed out; fire gourds are opened wide. Fire banners wave a whole sky of sunset glow; fire staves churn and set the ground ablaze. Never mind Ning Qi singing at his ox—this beats Young Zhou at the Red Cliffs. This is no ordinary fire from Heaven, truly fearsome: a roaring, blazing red wind of flame.

When the demon saw the fire coming, he felt no fear at all. He tossed the ring into the air, and with a whoosh it came down and swept up the fire dragons, fire horses, fire crows, fire rats, fire lances, fire knives, fire bows, and fire arrows, every one. Then he turned back to his cave and drew off his troops in triumph.

The Fire Star Lord, holding an empty banner, called his generals back and joined the Heavenly King and the rest. They sat below on the southern slope, and he said to Pilgrim: "Great Sage, this fierce demon is truly a rare one. Now I have lost my fire gear. What is to be done?" Pilgrim laughed: "No complaining, please. All of you sit and rest a while. Old Sun will go and come again." The Heavenly King asked: "Where are you off to now?" Pilgrim said: "If that monster does not fear fire, he is surely afraid of water. As the common saying goes, 'water beats fire.' Let Old Sun go inside the North Gate of Heaven and ask the Water Star Lord to spread his waters and pour them into that cave, drown the Demon King, and take your things back for you." The Heavenly King said: "A fine plan—but I am afraid it would drown your master too." Pilgrim said: "No matter. If my master drowns, I have a way to bring him back to life. It is really not right of me to keep you all standing about." Fire Star said: "If that is so, please go, please go."

Good Great Sage! He rode the somersault cloud straight to the North Gate of Heaven. Looking up, he met the Heavenly King of Much Hearing, who bowed and asked: "Where to, Great Sage Sun?" Pilgrim said: "I have business inside the Dark Vault Palace with the Water Star Lord. What are you doing here?" Much Hearing said: "Today it is my turn to patrol." As they spoke, the four great generals Pang, Liu, Gou, and Bi came forward with bows, inviting him to tea. Pilgrim said: "No need, no need—I am in a hurry." So he took leave of the gate gods and went straight to the Dark Vault Palace, where the gods of the water department announced him at once. They reported: "The Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Sun Wukong, is here!" Hearing this, the Water Star Lord sent away the dragon kings he had been checking—the dragon kings of the four seas, five lakes, eight rivers, four great streams, three rivers, and nine channels—then straightened his cap, tightened his belt, came out to the palace gate, welcomed Pilgrim inside, and said: "Yesterday the Canhan Office checked my little palace, fearing some god of my department had gone down to make trouble. I was in the middle of checking the gods of the rivers, seas, and streams; I had not finished." Pilgrim said: "That Demon King is no god of the rivers. He is a spirit of great power. First the Jade Emperor sent Heavenly King Li, his son, and two thunder gods down to take him, but the demon made a ring and swept up their six divine weapons. Old Sun, helpless, went up to the Crimson Splendor Palace and asked the Fire Star Lord to lead his gods in setting fires—and the ring swept up the fire dragons, fire horses, and the rest as well. I thought: if he does not fear fire, he must fear water. So I have come to ask you, Star Lord, to spread your waters and help me catch that demon spirit, take back the weapons for the heavenly generals, and free my master from his trouble too." Water Star heard this and at once ordered the God-King of the Yellow River: "Go with the Great Sage and help." The Water Lord took a white jade bowl out of his sleeve and said: "With this bowl I can carry water." Pilgrim said: "How much can that bowl hold? How could it drown the demon?" The Water Lord said: "I will not hide it from you, Great Sage: this bowl of mine holds Yellow River water. Half a bowl is half the river; a full bowl is the whole river." Pilgrim was delighted: "Half a bowl is plenty." So he took leave of Water Star and left the gates of Heaven with the God of the Yellow River.

The Water Lord scooped half a bowl from the Yellow River and followed the Great Sage to Gold Mountain, where they met the Heavenly King, the prince, the thunder gods, and Fire Star below on the southern slope. He told them the whole story. Pilgrim said: "No need for details. Let the Water Lord come with me. When I call the door open, do not wait for him to come out—pour the water straight in through the door, and that monster's whole brood will drown. Then I will go fish out my master's body and bring him back to life. There is plenty of time for that."

The Water Lord obeyed and followed Pilgrim close, around the slope, straight to the cave mouth, and cried: "Demon, open the door!" The little demons at the door heard the Great Sage Sun's voice and hurried to report again: "Sun Wukong is here again!" Hearing this, the demon grabbed his treasure, took up his spear, and walked out; with a crash the stone door opened. The Water Lord tipped the white jade bowl inward. When the demon saw water coming, he dropped his long spear, quickly took out the ring, and held it up to block the inner door. The water only bubbled and gushed back out. Great Sage Sun leaped away in alarm and jumped with the Water Lord onto a high peak. The Heavenly King and all the rest stopped their clouds in front of the peak and watched the water: waves swelling high, truly wild. What water! Truly:

From one ladleful—truly beyond all measure! Only divine power could work this: bringing good to the ten thousand things and flowing to swell a hundred streams.Listen: the babbling sound shakes the valley. Look: the rolling flood covers the sky.Its mighty roar is like running thunder; its fierce waves surge like snow cresting over.A thousand-zhang wave floods the roads; ten thousand layers of billows toss against the cliffs.Cold and clear, it rinses jade; rolling on, it hums like strings.Striking the rocks it sprays shattered jade; the swirling backwaters turn in round pools.It sinks low and dips hollow, drifting with the current, filling the gullies and leveling the ditches, top and bottom.

Pilgrim saw it and panicked: "This is bad! Water flooding the whole countryside will drown the people's fields, and it never even poured into his cave. What now?" He called to the Water Lord to take the water back quickly. The Water Lord said: "This little god knows how to let water out, but not how to take it back. As the common saying goes, 'spilled water is hard to gather up.'" Ah! But the mountain was high and steep, and the water ran downhill. In a moment it had scattered back into the gullies and ravines.

Then several little demons jumped out of the cave and went on yelling and shouting outside, rolling up their sleeves, shaking their fists, twirling staves and spears, happy and playing as before. The Heavenly King said: "So the water never got into the cave at all. A whole effort wasted." Pilgrim could not hold back his anger. He swung both fists, rushed to the demon's door, and shouted: "Do not run! Take this!" The little demons dropped their spears and staves and ran into the cave, trembling, to report: "Your Majesty, bad news—he is coming to fight!" The Demon King leveled his long spear and came out to meet him: "You brazen ape, how shameless! You could not beat me all those rounds, and even water and fire could not touch me. Why do you come trailing back to throw away your life?" Pilgrim said: "Now the son has it backwards! Who is throwing away whose life? Come over here and take one of your old grandfather's punches!" The demon laughed: "This monkey clings on stubbornly! I use a spear, and he uses his fists. Those knotted fists of his are only the size of a walnut—how could they ever swing a hammer? Fine, fine, fine. I will put down my spear and box a round with you." Pilgrim laughed: "Well said. Come on up."

The demon tucked up his robes, stepped forward, took a stance, and raised both fists—truly like the iron mallets men use to beat oil. The Great Sage moved his feet, shifted his body, opened his set of moves, and traded blows with the Demon King before the cave door. What a fight this was! Ah!

He spread wide the Great Four-Level stance, kicked up the double flying feet.He tucked his ribs and pounded the chest; he gouged the heart and grabbed the gall."The Immortal Points the Way"; "Laozi Rides the Crane.""The Hungry Tiger Pounces on Its Prey" hurts worst of all; "The Flood-Dragon Frolics in the Water" turns vicious.The Demon King used "The Python Turns Its Body"; the Great Sage answered with "The Deer Sheds Its Antlers.""Raised Heel, the Tempered Earth-Dragon"; "Twisted Wrist, Seizing the Sky-Bag.""The Blue Lion Comes with Mouth Agape"; "The Carp Leaps, Arching Its Back.""Flowers Scattered over the Crown"; "Rope Wound around the Waist.""Fan Pressed against the Wind"; "Sudden Rain Beats the Blossoms Down."The demon spirit used the Guanyin Palm; Pilgrim matched it with the Arhat Kick.The long palm is open and naturally loose—how can it match the short punch, tight and sharp?The two held each other for dozens of rounds, equal in skill, neither stronger nor weaker.

The two of them brawled before the cave door, while up on the peak Heavenly King Li cheered loudly with delight and the Fire Star Lord clapped and praised them. The two thunder gods and Prince Nezha led the gods jumping forward, all wanting to help; on the other side the demon horde waved flags, beat drums, whirled swords and swung blades, defending all together. Seeing things going badly, the Great Sage pulled out a handful of his hairs, tossed them into the air, and cried: "Change!" They became thirty or fifty little monkeys, which swarmed forward and tangled up the demon—some hugging his legs, some pulling his waist, some clawing his eyes, some plucking his hair. The monster panicked and hurriedly got the ring out. The Great Sage and the Heavenly King and the others, seeing him bring out the ring trick, spun their clouds around and fled up the peak. The demon tossed the ring upward, and with a whoosh it took back the thirty or fifty little monkeys made from hairs, returning them to their true form, and swept them into the cave. Victorious, he led his troops in, shut the door, and went off to celebrate.

The prince said: "The Great Sage Sun is a true hero. That boxing round was flowers stitched onto brocade, and his body-splitting art showed his glory before everyone." Pilgrim laughed: "You all watched from far off. That monster's skill—how does it compare with Old Sun's?" Heavenly King Li said: "His fists are loose and his feet slow, not like the Great Sage's speed. When he saw us coming he got flustered, and when he saw you use the body-splitting art he panicked. That is why he played his big ring trick." Pilgrim said: "The Demon King is easy to handle. It is the ring that is hard to beat." Fire Star and the Water Lord said: "If you want to win, you must first get that treasure of his; only then can you take him." Pilgrim said: "And how do we get that treasure? Only by stealing it." The two lords Deng and Zhang laughed: "If stealing is wanted, no one but the Great Sage can do it. Think of the time he wrecked the Heavenly Palace: he stole the imperial wine, stole the peaches, stole dragon liver and phoenix marrow and Laozi's own pills—what skill that was! Today is just the place to use it." Pilgrim said: "Well said, well said. If that is it, you all sit here while Old Sun goes to take a look."

Good Great Sage! He jumped down from the peak, sneaked to the cave mouth, shook himself, and changed into a little gray fly, truly sleek. Look at him:

Wings thin as bamboo film; body small as the heart of a flower.Limbs stubbier than its hairs; tiny eye-holes bright and clear.It scents the air and follows every smell by nature; flying, it rides the wind, quick and swift.Weighed on the scale, it just tips the balance mark—a wee little thing, yet useful and endearing.

Lightly he flew onto the door, crawled to the crack, and slipped inside. There the demons big and small were dancing and singing, ranged on both sides. The old Demon King sat high on his dais. Before him were laid out snake meat, dried venison, bear paws, camel hump, mountain vegetables, and fruit. There was a celadon wine pot, fragrant sheep's cheese and coconut wine, and big bowls, and they drank with open hearts. Pilgrim landed among the little demons, changed into a badger-headed imp, and moved slowly nearer the dais. He watched a long while but could not see where the treasure was kept. He slipped out and around to the back of the hall, and there he saw the fire dragon hanging high in the back hall, droning and roaring, and the fire horse neighing and whinnying. Looking up, he saw his own gold-banded staff leaning against the east wall. Joy made his heart itch past all scratching. He forgot to change his shape again, walked straight up, took the iron staff, showed his true form, opened his set of moves, and belted his way out with the staff. The demon horde shook with terror; the old Demon King had no time to react. Pilgrim knocked down three, floored two, beat open a bloody path, and marched straight out the cave door. Truly:

The demon chief, in his pride, stood unguarded;the master's staff went back to its owner.

But would things now turn out well or badly? Listen to the next chapter to find out.